Marking instrument or scriber



Sept. 16, 1958 c. BRONNER MARKING- INSTRUMENT OR SCRIBER Filed April 2, 1957 United States Patent 2,851,774 MARKING INSTRUMENT 0R SCRIBER Carl Brenner, Maplewood, N. 31.

Application April 2, 1957, Serial No. 650,241

2 Claims. (Cl. 30- -1649) This invention relates in general to a marking instrument or scriber for making lines or inscriptions on coated or uncoated surfaces, and more particularly, the invention is concerned with the marking of coated synthetic plastic compositions such as are frequently used in the making of price tags and identification tags for various articles such as pieces of jewelry.

It is diflicult, if not impossible, to write with the most commonly known scribers, because either the scribing points merely dent the surface of material such as a sheet of plastic composition, or the scribing points stick or dig into the material during efforts to change the directions of movements of the points while the latter are in contact with the material, as would be the case in writing operations. Moreover, the scribing points of known scribers, particularly the conical metal points, quickly become dull, worn out or ineifective, and it is diflicult, if at all possible, to make fine lines or shaded lines with known scribers.

Prime objects of the present invention are to provide a novel and improved scriber which shall overcome the above mentioned objections to and disadvantages of known scribers, and to provide such a scriber with which at the will of the user straight or curved lines such as are used in writing, can be easily produced, either in fine or shaded form.

Further objects of the invention are to provide ascriber of this character the scribing point of which shall have a plurality of angularly related surfaces that meet in sharp angles so that the point will actually out a surface over which it is drawn as distinguished from merely indenting or scratching the surface; and to provide such a scriber which shall have in a scriber head a plurality of scribing points of the nature described that may be separately or individually brought into operation at the will of the user by a simple rotation of the scriber in the hand of the user.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improved combination of a scriber point of the character described and a holder or handle therefor, and to obtain other advantages and results that will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a composite side elevational view of the \.handle and point portion of the scriber and a removable cap therefor;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged composite side elevational view and central vertical sectional view through the scribing head portion of the scriber;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane of the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a similar view on an enlarged scale on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view of the scriber head;

Figure 6 is an end view thereof; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary central vertical sectional view through the scriber head on the plane of the line 7-7 2,851,774 Patented Sept. 16, 1958 of Figure 6 but showing the head inverted and in marking position relative to a surface to be marked.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the reference character A designates the main or body portion of the handle or holder which may be formed of suitable'material such as a plastic composition, and in one end of which is snugly fitted a tip B that serves as a firm mounting for the scriber shank C at one end of which is the scriber head D.

The invention contemplates a scriber point of novel construction and a scriber head having a plurality of such points any one of which can be used for marking and writing purposes.

As best shown in Figures 6 and 7 each writing point comprises a plurality of angularly related surfaces that meet at a common sharp angle or corner. larly, describing the point, it will be seen that the four surfaces 1, 2, 3 and 4 meet at a common sharp angle or corner 5 and provide a plurality of angularly related cutting edges that meet to form the marking points.

The scriber head is conveniently formed by cutting a plurality of V-shaped longitduinal grooves 6 in the peripheral surface of a cylinder, the side walls of the grooves forming sharp-edged longitudinal ribs '7 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head that terminate at one end of thehead, and said end of the head is provided with radial grooves 8 each of which constitutes a continuation of one of the grooves 6 and preferably gradually decreases in depth toward the center or axis of the cylindrical head.

Each scriber point 5 thus comprises a plurality of sharp angularly related edges so that no matter in which direction the point is moved over a surface E, one or more of the edges will cut into the surface and actually remove shavings of the material; and the point can be moved with equal ease or facility in any direction. Thus, the point can be used for making fine straight lines or fine curved lines such as are used in writing or the point can be used for making shaded lines, straight or curved, by simply varying in the Writing the pressure at which the scriber point is forced against the surface.

Preferably, the scriber head D will be formed of hard, cutting steel and conveniently may be made integral with the shank C. While the shank might be easily separably mounted in the tip, the shank has been shown as formed with a tapered portion 9 inwardly of the head D that has a drive fit in a similarly tapered portion 10 of a bore 11 that extends coaxially through the tip B. Preferably, the head D is driven through a cylindrical portion 12 of said bore so as to cause an interlock between the wall of the tip and the ribs and grooves of the head as best shown in Figure v4, thereby positively preventing rotation of the scriber head in the tip and at the same time providing a firm support for the scriber head during marking operations.

It will thus be seen that each marking point 5 is formed by a plurality of angularly related surfaces 1, 2, 3 and 4, the surfaces 3 and 4 being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the head D and providing a rib or ridge that is V-shaped in cross section, and the surfaces 1 and 2 being at angles to said axis of the head and meeting each other to form a V-shaped ridge that is radially disposed to said axis and meets one of the ribs formed by the surfaces 3 and 4, at one end, of the head. It will also be observed that there are a plurality of marking points 5 spaced around the axis of the head and disposed in radial relation thereto in a common plane that is perpendicular to said axis, and that the points can be brought individually into operation by simple rotation of the scriber in the users hand, and always at least one point will be in position for use. The angle of meeting of the ridges More particu- 3 at the marking point 5 is not critical but is preferably 90 as best shown in Figure 7.

While it is not at all necessary, a cap F may be separably fitted on the end of the main portion A to normally cover the scriber head D.

While I have shown and described the now preferred embodiment of the invention, many modifications and changes can-be made in the construction of the scriber and holder and in the specific construction of the scriber head and scriber points, all within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A scriber comprising a head having a longitudinal axis, a plurality of angularly related surfaces extending along said axis that meet in cutting edges, and a plurality of angularly related surfaces on the end of said head at angles to said axis that meet in cutting edges, each of the second-mentioned surfaces meeting one of the first-mentioned surfaces in a sharp cutting edge, said edges meeting in a common marking point, so as to provide a plurality of said marking points radially disposed with respect to said axis and equidistantly spaced from said axis in a plane perpendicular to said axis, a shank projecting from one end of said head, and a holder having a bore therethrough a portion of which has cylindrical References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 683,696 Maillard Oct. 1, 1901 693,508 Fette Feb. 18, 1902 769,412 Sidway Sept. 6, 1904 796,321 Granberg Aug. 1, 1905 1,154,636 Hockabout Sept. 28, 1915 1,358,432 Fink Nov. 9, 1920 

